Safety appliance for inflammable-material containers



Oct. 9, 1928. 1,686,918

R. J. MONNETT SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL CONTAINERS Filed March 3, 1927 III/IIIlI/I/IlWIIIl/IHIIIIIIIIIIIII/I/Ill[IIIIIIIIIII/IlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIU1Ilh I I mmnmummnmun/"mum"mum (mun mun j Illlllllllllllll! "mu/numun/mu 1 ATTORNEY Patented 9, 1928 passing through the screens orguards are- UNITED STATES PATENT orr es.

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SAFETY FOR INFLAMMABLE-MATEBIAL CONTAINERS.

a eucaaon illed March a, 1927. Serial No. 172,510.

This invention relates generally to fire prevention means adapted for use in connection with containers of inflammable and volatile materials, and in articular, to such means as applied to the outlet or vent pipe construction of'tanks containing crudeoil or petroleum distillates.

' The volatile character of petroleum and its distillates, and similar materials, renders it necessary to provide all containers wherein the material is to be kept for any appreciable period of time, with some means'operable to permit the escape of vapors accumulating within the container when an undesirable pressure has been reached. It is common practice to provide such containers with outlet or vent pipes equipped with pressure relief valves to meet the re uirements of service. Such devices do not of course protect the contents of a container from fire-communicated thereto through ignition of the gas escaping when the valve is opened. It has been pro posed in the art to incorporate fire checks in the form of recticulated guards within the vent pipes, but insofar as applicant is aware,

such devices have never proved practical probably by reason of the fact thatthe gases saturated, and deposit a liquid film over the entirescreen surface, which ignites, biirningv onboth sides of the screen. In some instances gravity-controlled cut ofi valves have been flame may passto the contents of the tank,

and in addition, the valve not being positively and forcibly actuated, may not seat properly,

with disastrous results.

With a view to avoiding those defects of "prior art devices, the present invention has.

beendeveloped, and principally its objects,

are :'-to provide means associated with the outlet r vent pipe of a container for volatile mfi able material forefiecting'the positiveand forcible closure, automatically, of a ing as a structural element thereof a thermoexpansive member; to provide in such a pipe as aforesaid, means for caus ng and confining a freecombustion of gas and air at a definite point therein and in a direction away from the container; toprovide in such a pipe as aforesaid, means for directing combustion. occurring therein, at a definite point against a thermo-expansive member associated with a valve for closing the pipe; to provide such a pipe as aforesaid, formed of a material capable of contraction and expansion, and

means associated therewith for influencing the operation of a valve disposed therein. Other objects will be apparent from. the description, to those skilled 1n the art; a v

This. specification and drawings annexed disclose but one practical physical embodiment of the principles of the invention, and it is to-be'understood that many variations of 7 structure may be employed in carrying out the ob'ects. v

In t e drawings, Figure 1 is-an elevation of an outlet or vent pipe constructed in accordance with the princi les of the invention. Figure 2 is a vertica section taken .therethrough. Figure 3is a fragmentary section of.a modified structure.

The details of structure comprise a stub I .collar 1 provided with a base flange having .rivet a ertures 2 whereby it may be suitably secure over the vent or outlet aperture of a tank orother container. A gas chamber 12,

in theform of a-cylindrical i section, disposed above the collar .1 mg hingedly connected therewith through the medium of the hinge 11,.so that when desired, the entire outlet pipe assembly may be. swung back to uncover the vent opening of the tank for access thereto.

Coupled between the collar 1 and the section 12 is an annular valve seat plate 3, provided at its center with a port-suitably. arranged for seating the head of a disk valve 1 whereby the port may be closed. The seat engaging face of the valve 4 is provided with some such material as malleable metal 8, to accommodate irregularities in the engaging surfaces and form a seal for the valve when closed. The valve stem 5 is made of copper or other suitable thermo-expansive metal, having a ready expansibility under heat, and has its lower end formed in a ball 6 engaged in a socket formed in the head 4 and retaining block 7 whereby the head 4 may pivot relative to the stem to accommodate for unequal strains in closing. A guard member in the form of a cone 9 .is disposed in the chamber section 12 over the valve 4, being seated on the plate 3 and apertured at its apex to permit vertically slidable movement therethrough of the valve stem 5. The function of the guard 9 is to prevent foreign matter dropping from above and thus impairing the seating of the valve by lodgment on the valve seat. At some portion of its area, preferably at its bottom, the guard cone 9 is provided with a plurality of apertures or ports 10 which permit the ready passage of vapors escaping through the valve when open, from under the guard up and into the gas chamber,

12. It has also a further function in that any condensate falling back on the cone surface thereof is diverted to the ports 10 where it is mixed with and carried upward by the vapors issuing therefrom, thus preventing an undue accumulation of condensate in the immediate vicinity of the valve.

The upper end of the gas chamber section 12 is closed by a drum or header plate 15 apertured centrally suiiiciently to receive the valve stem 5 slidably therethrough, and the vertical alignment of the stem 5 is maintained through the medium of a guide sleeve 14 attached to the said header plate. The upper end of the valve stem ;5, above the header plate 15, is

threaded into or otherwise suitably attached I loosely received in a cap 22 seated thereover.

The header plate 15 is of a diameter greater than that of the section 12, so that it extends laterally from the top thereof. The laterally extendingannular portion of the header is provided with a plurality of air entry ports 18, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. Anchored at their upper ends in the header plate 15, such as by threading therethrough, are a plurality of tubes, in this instance copper, of very small bore and which depend from the header into the chamber in Figure 2, or they may be coiled as shown at v 13 in Figure 3, in which latter case the height of the section 12 can be materially lessened.

Through thesetubes 13, or 13, gases accumulating in the chamber 12 are conveyed up through the header plate to a plurality of discharge points arranged in spaced relation beneath and adjacent the inner inclined face of a frusto-conical deflector 16 mounted on the header plate and opening at its top around the rods 21 which extend downwardly therethrough. The bottom of the deflector 16 lies within the area circumscribed by. the air ports 18, and the entire body of the said deflector lies in spaced relation beneath a frustoconical ring 17 attached at its bottom to the outer edge of the header plate 15 beyond the air ports 18. The top of this base ring 17 extends up into the upper vent pipe section 26, which is suitably supported at its lower end on said base ring, and surrounds in spaced relation the rods 21 which extend downwardly therethrough. This structural relation of deflector 16, base ring 17 and rods 21, forms an air and gas mixing zone 19 directly adj acent a nd'between the lower end portions of the thermo-expansive rods 21. The gases travelling up the inner face of the deflector are mixed with the air from the ports 18 which travels upwardly between the deflector and base ring, the mixing occurring at and between the lower end portions of the rods 21.

The upper vent pipe section 26 of the assembly, is made of light sheet metal having a different coeflicient of expansion than the rods 21, so that its contraction on cooling, due to its large surface area and its thinness, will be faster than that of the rods 21. This pipe section forms in effect a combustion chamber wherein any combustion is centered on the entire area of the said rods 21, throughout their length. It is openat its upper end which is protected by a spaced cover or hood 27 suitably supported on said section.

Secured to the upper endportion of the section 26 are a plurality of radially disposed, depending thermo-expansive bars 24 having their lower ends converging on and attached to a block 23 formed for loosely, receiving therein, in sliding engagement, the cap 22 on the rods 21. A screw plug 25 adjustable through the block 23, is provided for limiting the extent of upward movement of the cap 22, against which it abuts on opening movement of the valve.

In the normal operation of the device, they and its entire action is automatic.

- or 13 as the case may be, through the rods 21 mixing with air at the point 19, and up through the vent pipe 26 to the atmosphere. .When the pressure has been relieved the valve automatically closes through gravity, Should flame from any external-source be communicated to the vapors or gas arising from the pipe 26, igniting the gas, it will burn within] the combustion chamber section 26 and freely at the point 19 due to the mixture of air with the gas. The combustion thus occurring will be confined to a direct contact with and along the rods 21, through their entire length, with its greatest intensity at the lower ends of the rods where air is supplied. This action will cause an immediate expansion of the rods 21 and successively the bars 24 and valve stem 5, the latter through conducted heat. Such expansion causes a direct, positive and forcible closing, under pressure, of the valve 4, diedtively closing communication between the tank and the atmosphere and preventing further escape of gas. The upward expansion of the section 26 is more than compensated for by the rapid downward expansion of the bars 24. The cap 22-bearing against the plug 25 or block 23, limits the expansion of the rods 21 downwardly in a direction to close the valve, so that there are in efi'ect, three separate thermo-expansive instrumentalities, acting cumulatively and successively to force the valve closed. The length of the tubes 13 or 13 is such, and their bores are so small,

that if by any possibility flame is initially extended d own past the point 19 to the tubes, it will be guenched therein. j

As the closing of the valve cuts off further supply ofi gas, the flame will necessarily die out, but i the device automatically guards against possibilit .of reignition by holding the valve closed, 't rough the expansive action explained, until the various rods and bars have cooled sufliciently to contract. The closure of the valve is also influenced by the rapid contraction of the seetion'26 in cooling.

This contraction tends to pull down the bars 24, forcing the rods 21 -do'wnwardly in a It is obvious that in-no case can the valve open until after the flame has been extinguished and the thermo-expansive elements cooled sufficiently to contract far enough to allow the valve to be lifted from its seat.

1 The present invention is a continuation as to 'all common subject matter, of tha-tshown anddescribed in my copendi'ng application Serial No. 134,514 filed September 9, 1926. claim 4 1. A 'vapor outlet for inflammable material containers, comprising'a vent pipe, a pressure relief valve disposed therein, and thermo-expansive means in said pipe and operable on said valve forclosing said pipe under influence of heat.

2. A vapor outlet for co'ntalners of inflammable material, comprising a vent pipe, an

automatic pressure relief valve therein, and

thermo-expansive means in said pipe in operative connection with said valve. 3. A vapor outlet for containers of inflam- .mable material, comprising a vent pipe, 9. pressure relief. valve disposed in said pipe,

and thermostatic means for closing said valve under influence of heat.

4. The combination with the vent pipe-of a container for volatile inflammable material, of a-fire guard in'said pipe, and a thermostatically operable valve disposed in said pipe between said guard and the pipe inlet for closing said pipe under influence of heat.

5. Avapor outlet for containers of inflammable material, comprising a pipe, a pressure relief valve disposed therein, a gas chamber formed in said pipeabove said valve, restricted outlet meansfor said chamber, a combustion chamber formed in said pipe, means for mlXlIlg air and gas in said combust on chamher, and a thermo-expansive instrumentality in said combustion chamber for forcing said valve closed on combustion within said chamberu V 6. A- vapor outlet for containers of inflammable material, comprising an outlet pipe,

a pressurerelief valve automatically operable therein, said valve having as a structural element thereof a thermo-expansive member, a

and means in said pipe for directing flame against said member forforcingsaid valve to closed position.

7. A vapor outlet for containers of inflammable material, comprising an outlet pipe, a

.pressure relief valve normally closing said pipe, a normally inert -thermo-expan sive member 1n c'onnectlon with said valve, said membe r operating to close said valve on entry of flame in said pipe,,and means on said pipe limiting the expansive movement of said member to valve closing direction.

8.- A-vapor outlet for containers of inflammable .material, comprising an outlet pipe, a pressure relief valve normally closing said pipe, and a thermo-expansive member onsaid pipe arranged. for forcing said valve in closed position on expansion of the member.

a 9. A vapor outlet for containers of inflammable material, comprising an outlet pipe, an automatic pressure relief valve therein and normally closing said pipe, and thermo expansive means associated with said valve and pipe for successiveiy' and-cumulatively forcing said valve clpsed in presence of flame and eat. I v i 10. A vapor outlet for containers of inflammable material, comprising, an outlet pipe,v an automatic pressure rellef valve therein,-

means including a heat responsive structural element of said valve for forcing andliolding said valve closed in presence of flame in said pipe, and means for directional regulation of combustion in said pipe in relation-to said heat responsive valve element.

11. A vapor outlet for containers of inflammable material, comprising, an outlet pipe, a valve therein for closing said pipe, a ther- Inc-expansive element in said pipe for closmg sald valve in presence of flame'or heat, said pipe having a portion thereof structural- 7 1y associated With said valve for influencing the closing action thereof. 

